Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pneumonia caused by cowpox virus in five cats
By McInerney, Jennie et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2016·Small Animal Hospital, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pulmonary cowpox in cats: five cases.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Five domestic cats developed pneumonia caused by the cowpox virus, with three of them also having fluid in their chest. Some of these cats had other infections that may have made them more susceptible to pneumonia. The diagnosis was confirmed through various tests, including examining fluid from their lungs. Two of the cats recovered after being treated with a medication called interferon omega. It's important for pet owners to be aware of cowpox as a potential cause of pneumonia in cats, especially since it can also pose risks to humans.
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Abstract
CASE SERIES SUMMARY: This case series documents five cases of pneumonia (with pleural effusion in three cases) caused by cowpox virus (CPxV) in domestic cats. Predisposition to pneumonia may have resulted from mixed infections in two cases (feline herpesvirus and Bordetella bronchiseptica in one cat, and Mycoplasma species in the other). RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION: As well as diagnostic confirmation by previously described methods of virus isolation from skin lesions, and demonstration of pox virions in skin samples using electron microscopy and inclusion bodies in histological preparations, this is the first report of diagnosis by virus isolation from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid or pleural fluid, and demonstration of inclusion bodies in cytological preparations. This is also the first series to report treatment with interferon omega (IFN-ω). Two cats survived, both of which had been treated with IFN-ω. As CPxV represents a serious zoonotic risk it is an important differential diagnosis of pneumonia in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25972246/